


My daily workout

by hobbeshalftail3469



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Angst, F/M, Gym workouts, Surveillance, Yearning, slightly inappropriate ogling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-08 16:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14697561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hobbeshalftail3469/pseuds/hobbeshalftail3469
Summary: Robin has been doing surveillance in a gym, she needs Strike's help, cue a lot of inappropriate ogling of Robin in lycra and some flirting in the pool. Strike and Robin also help a fellow amputee renew his faith in the opposite sex!





	My daily workout

**Author's Note:**

> Have written this on a different computer, and it hasn't auto corrected my spelling - apologies in advance!

"No, it's exactly the sort of gym you'd go to actually," Robin panted as she unfastened the bobble holding her hair.  
Strike was slightly distracted as she shook her head backwards and ran her fingers through the amber locks.  
Robin had been on surveillance at a gym where their client (the owner) suspected a rival was poaching his customers. Obviously when they'd got the job in Strike had instantly told her she was doing it, and as it meant free gym membership for a few weeks she'd been happy to, but after 3 sessions she'd spotted a flaw in the plan, which is why she had raised the idea with her partner.  
"I can't go to a sodding gym can I, I'd stand out a mile....no pun intended," Strike raised his trouser leg and waggled his prosthetic limb.  
"No, you're wrong actually, " Robin answered, "there are a few guys who go there, a couple are ex military and another is a road accident victim and between them they've only got 2 working legs and 5 working arms."  
Strike started to make tea for them both as Robin slid behind her desk.  
"How do you know they're ex military?" he asked, his interest starting to be piqued.  
"Oh they started chatting to me while I was on the treadmill," she answered nonchalantly.  
Strike snorted and faced her in a full grin, "Yeah, I bet they did......did you end up running a bit longer than usual by any chance?"  
Robin considered his comment; actually yes, she had run further on the treadmill as a result of the conversation.....  
"Are you telling me they were keeping me on the treadmill so they could.....letch!!!???" Robin raised her eyebrows, somewhat shocked at her naivety, "The dirty buggers!"  
Strike just laughed as he always did when her Yorkshire lilt formed that particular word.  
Having dunked the tea bags and added milk he directed the discussion back to the pressing issue,  
"So you are saying that the problem is that you can't get into the men's changing area, and you reckon that's where it's all going on?" he queried.  
"Exactly," she answered, "There doesn't appear to be anything happening in the actual gym, or the pool, sauna or steam rooms - it's just general chat and nothing weird; but I have noticed there is a guy who goes between the changing room and the main gym quite a lot, sometimes he goes into the changing room with someone and then comes back on his own. I've tried lurking around, I even went in pretending it was an accident once, but I couldn't catch anything."  
Strike's eyebrows raised at the thought of Robin barging into a men's gym changing room; he could almost picture her 'pretending' to have made a mistake when she got caught out.

"Alright," he nodded thoughtfully, "But we'd better pretend we don't know each other."   
Robin nodded, seeing the sense in his suggestion. "OK, you up for a visit this evening?"  
Strike nodded.  
Robin considered how she felt about doing a second workout in one day, but hey ho; perhaps she'd spend longer in the pool rather than another punishing 30 minutes on the treadmill.   
Strike was wondering whether he'd be able to keep his mind on anything at all with Robin clad in lycra; plus he'd have to pretend not to know her.....although that could be interesting.....he could openly gawp along with the other red blooded males in there!

He stomped off to his flat around 5.30pm, returning with a holdall, presumably of gear suitable for the gym, they locked up and walked to the place together, Robin loitered around outside so that they didn't arrive together whilst Strike went in.  
His mind flashed back to the hospital and physio gyms he'd virtually lived in following his operations and injury.  
Fortunately this particular gym didn't have the chemically hospital tang to it, and he was pleased to notice that it wasn't particularly busy, and one man, working on a leg press machine appeared to be missing his left arm from above the elbow joint down.  
He gave a fake name, Jack Armstrong, and quickly explained the extent of his needs in terms of specific exercise adaptions. Fortunately, their client, Mike Marston, arrived in the reception area at that moment:  
"Mike, hi, it's me, Jack, we spoke on the phone?" Strike gave a quick raise of his eyebrows and thankfully Mr Marston caught on,  
"Oh yes, of course....if you'd like to come through I'll show you the facilities and then we can discuss some of the specific exercises we talked about. Leave this one with me Sanj," he smiled at the other guy.  
Having accompanied Strike through to the changing facilities, which were empty, he hastily brought him up to speed about why he was also involved in the surveillance and asked a few practical questions regarding his leg.  
Mike pointed out the adapted shower with easy grab rails which also handily had a door opening into the pool area, the rail on the door would enable him to basically reach the poolside safely.  
On a non-professional aside, Strike pointed out how thoughtful this was for others in the same boat as him.  
Strike located a locker and got changed into trainers, baggy, jersey shorts and a large, grey marl t shirt. Grabbing a towel (he knew from experience that he was a sweaty worker outer!) he made his way a little self consciously into the main gym area.

Robin gave him a good 15 minutes before she walked into the now familiar gym, swiped her entry card and changed. She had to put the same crop top and leggings on that she's worn in the morning, fortunately they were a riot of swirling red and orange colours, so the damp, sweat marks didn't show. She hadn't gone in for a swim this morning, so at least her suit would be fresh and dry.  
She took her headphones and towel and ambled into the gym, she spotted Strike immediately, he was having a piece of upper arm and shoulder weight equipment demonstrated by Mike Marston. She made her way towards one of the recumbent bikes and plugged in her phones (she didn't actually turn the volume up though, so that she could hear anything that was said around her) she punched in a 20 minute varied program and started pedalling.  
Strike saw her in the multiple mirrors and sucked in his breathe at the sight of her slim but curvaceous body encased in the tight, colourful lycra. He noticed that as she pedalled on the bike her stomach was almost flat, and there was a slight hint of her belly button visible above the band of her cropped pants.  
He completed a set of 16 reps on the equipment and paused to have a sip of water. 'Arm man' took the opportunity to come across to him,  
"Perfect gym buddy," he indicated his own lack of arm and Strike's prosthesis, "We'll never clash on equipment!"  
Strike laughed, amputee humour, and introduced himself as 'Jack', Arm man said he was "Luke" and they chatted for a few minutes about their injuries. Strike said his was a road traffic accident (if anyone checked Afghanistan his true identity would be too easy to locate, so he always used this story if needed), Luke said that his was a result of meningitis as a child - he was lucky to have only lost one limb. They compared notes on various exercises - what they could and couldn't do etc, by which time Robin had completed her cycle and was moving to the stair climbing machine directly in their eye line.  
She mounted the machine and began to climb in a steady pace, suddenly very aware that her backside would be incredibly visible to the rest of the gym members (namely Strike and his pal), and glancing up at the mirror she was aware that they had stopped their discussion and were both silently regarding her movements. She sniggered a little and upped her pace.

Across the other side of the gym, 'Jack' and Luke gave Robin's rear the kind of reverent pause reserved for such a sight.   
"Fuuuuuck me," breathed Strike huskily, before pulling himself up a little, "Sorry.....not usually that disrespectful, but......blimey!"  
Luke exhaled alongside him, "Tell me about it....I mean I know she isn't here to be ogled at, but it's not half an incentive!" he widened his eyes and puffed out his cheeks before starting up on the reps on his knee press machine.  
Strike places his hands back on the hand grips and completed a further 2 sets of reps, using the rhythm of her swinging arse to power through the burn.

3 guys came into the gym at this point, one in a wheelchair and 2 other guys; one nodded to Luke and raised a hand in a wave to Robin who flashed him a panting smile as she continued climbing her many floors of steps. She glanced around and made eye contact with Strike and gave an almost imperceptible indication in the guy's direction. Strike picked up on it and assumed this was the man who she suspected - Mr Backwards and Forwards to the changing room.  
The other man started up on the treadmill, and the man in the wheelchair made his way over to Luke who introduced him to 'Jack', he was Dominic Harvey, ex army, his lower limbs had been blown off in an IED. Strike felt a twunge of guilt at not being able to empathise openly with him as he would have liked to, but he made a mental note that once this was cleared up he'd come clean to him.  
Their discussion was general, 'lad based' humour, mocking each others' lack of prowess and trying to outdo each other on how many reps they could manage etc.  
Dominic slid across onto the free weights bench. He asked Strike to spot him and started lifting a fairly hefty amount on the bar, which he did with alarming skill and competency despite his lack of lower body.   
Having placed the bar back to rest he sat up, just as Robin was making her way across the gym.  
"You again!" she quipped, grinning.  
Strike caught the flash of pink blush across Dom's cheeks and chest, before he replied, "Yeah.....can't get enough of the place.....you finished?"  
Robin nodded and wiped her face with her towel, "Didn't swim this morning, so just gonna get a few lengths in there, see you tomorrow boys," and she turned and walked across to the changing room, bending to take her locker key from her shoelace where she kept it. The full bend over from her waist caused 3 identical grunts from Luke, Dominic and 'Jack'.  
"She's friendly!" Strike mentioned, directing the comment mainly to Dominic.  
"Yeah, but her type are never really interested in the likes of me," he replied, lying back to complete more reps.  
"I don't know......always worth a punt," he smirked. He'd gone through a period of self pity, and still had the occasional bout of doubt, but having been able to bag Charlotte, not to mention several other high profile beauties, had given him somewhat a feeling of invincibility - he certainly had a 'if you don't ask, you don't get' attitude towards women, and he certainly wasn't going to let his lack of a limb put a dampener on his sex life!  
"Nah, women like that wouldn't be interested in a legless wonder like us," Dom panted, resting the bar above his head. "There's a woman who works in the office above mine.....talks to me everyday in the lift.....she's gorgeous, but she wouldn't want this," he indicated his lack of legs.  
Strike had noticed treadmill chap had moved onto a machine next to the other lone male and was making conversation - too quietly for him to hear - but he was keeping him in his radar.  
He turned his attention back to Dominic, "Well, I reckon I've got a chance with her, and I'm not intending to let this hold ME back," he indicated his own prosthesis.  
"If I can do it, you can too mate," and he slapped Dom between his shoulder blades. "Right, did she say she was off for a swim?"  
Dom grinned and nodded, his eyes brighter. "Are you really gonna ask her out? You haven't even met her!"  
"I've seen enough to know I'm interested!" Strike answered and limped off towards the changing room; coincidentaly just after the other 2 guys had made their way in there.  
He nodded in their direction, they were hunched infront of some lockers and went to his own, removing his t shirt and shorts and pulling on his loose swimming shorts instead. He noticed that the second of the men appeared to have something in his palm, but went over to the showers, leaving the first guy free to return to the gym.  
Strike went through the easy access shower area, removed his prosthesis and stood below the deluge of hot water before using the rail on the door to avoid slipping. By opening the door outwards he could access the pool, and the presence of a second rail poolside meant that he could quite easily hop and swing the couple of steps needed to reach the water's edge.  
He could see Robin powering up the pool in a focussed front crawl action, her legs kicking a small plume of water behind her.  
Strike lowered himself into the pool; the water was warm and not overly chlorinated and it felt good to have the buoyancy of it easing the weight on his legs. He had enough of his limbs to be able to do a passable front or back crawl, so he pushed off and used his powerful arms to drag the water behind him, making up for the more limited action from his legs. He felt invigorated by the exercise, and also ridiculously out of breath considering he'd only done one length!  
He noticed that Dominic had wheeled himself into the pool area, wearing similar baggy swim shorts to Strike, but with less filling out the leg material. Robin had paused at one end of the pool and was floating on her back, her arms out stretched.  
Strike caught Dom's gaze, who seemed to be shooting him an 'I dare you' kind of look, which Strike replied to with an 'Alright then, watch me,' eye roll.  
He leisurely swam across to her, and she was momentarily caught unawares by him as she lolled with her eyes closed, enjoying the sensation of the water around her.  
Strike cleared his throat, dragging her back to reality.   
"Oh, hi," she grinned, feeling slightly self conscious about the fact that her pelvis was at about head height to him in the water.  
He quickly and quietly spoke, "Pretend you fancy me," and then in a louder and more animated manner added, "Yeah, I saw you in the main gym, you a regular in here then?"  
Robin glanced around briefly and shifted her body to float on her stomach with her arms crossed, resting on the side and her head cocked to one side,  
"Yeah, I come in here quite a lot.......it's got a nice atmosphere," she flashed him a seductive smile from lowered lashes.  
Strike grinned back, she was a great actress, and he moved to mimic her pose on the edge of the pool. "Double whammy here, think I know what's going on but need to check something, but more importantly we need to renew that guy's faith in women!....now laugh when I do," and he turned his face slightly letting out a loud laugh.  
Robin threw her head back and giggled, grinning widely whilst muttering, "What the hell? How is me fancying you gonna help him?" but she then made a big fuss about scraping her hair back from her face, pushing her swimsuit towards his face.  
Strike placed his large hand across the wet, bare skin of her back, "Just pretend I'm talking to you about your shoulder muscles and look like you are enjoying it."  
Pretend?! Robin swallowed at their proximity and the pressure of his thumb between her shoulder blades, she really wasn't having to act much!  
"Erm, what do you think is going on with the guy in the gym then?" she asked trying to remain composed, although she 'purposefully' twisted around so that she was facing Strike, trying to follow his instruction of fancying him.  
"Think it's drugs.....probably steroids, need to check his locker........I'm gonna swim down to Dominic now, let me talk to him and when I look over at you and wave make your way over and say something about seeing me later at about 8pm....Oh, and I'm Jack by the way, OK?" and he didn't wait for her response before diving under the water and away.

Robin realised that she was breathing rather deeply, trying to convince herself that it was due to the swimming and exercise not Strike's hand on her slippery skin.  
Strike used the distance from her over to Dominic to calm down the stiffness in his swimming shorts. The way his hand had felt on Robin's back had alarmed him and excited him, even though he knew it shouldn't.....but she'd removed her wedding ring in the gym....and that little band missing acted like a beacon to his groin, flashing a 'go ahead, you're fine' message, even though he knew it to be untrue!

"That looked a bit more than friendly!" Dom mentioned upon Strike's arrival near to him.  
"Told you; he who dares and all that," and he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.  
"You're not telling me you've asked her out already?" Dominic asked, incredulously.  
"Too right I have....and she said yes; meeting her for a drink later on," and he turned around, meeting her gaze, which had been on him since he left her in the pool.  
Robin caught the cue and pulled herself up out of the pool before walking around the edge towards them at the other end.  
Strike bit his lower lip at the sight of her in her navy blue, plunge necked swimsuit but looked up at her through his deep, hooded eyes as she paused and dipped down next to him,  
"About 8 then?......see you later Jack," and she walked slowly towards the ladies locker room, fully aware that both men's eyes were fixed on her backside.

After she disappeared Strike and Dom continued talking for several minutes. Strike persuaded him to ask his work friend out, and Dom said that he would ask her the next day when he saw her,  
"I'm inspired mate!" he added as Strike hauled his body from the pool, using the 2 sturdy rails to help him balance.  
"Don't ever think that you're not good enough for attractive women," he said purposefully before he swung himself into the changing room, showered and dressed himself.

Back at the office he fired off an email to Mike Marston, advising him to check the locker he described - he also advised him calling in the drugs squad of the police department, giving him a direct number of a contact.   
He also texted Robin:  
GOOD WORK. SEE YOU TOMORROW C  
He recieved a reply almost instantly,  
SOD THAT, WE'RE MEETING AT 8PM AREN'T WE? TOTTENHAM....FIRST IN BUYS THE ROUND! R X  
Strike grinned....he was once again reminded of how glad he was that Robin was his partner.


End file.
